HOW TO BUY A SMARTPHONE

Shopping for a new handset? Great! You can finally buy that device you've always wanted. But do you know the terms like dual and quad core, GHz, mAh, megapixels? What makes one Operating System different from other? If you don't know about all these, don't worry. After reading this page, yo will be able to pick a phone that's right for you.

Things you have to look while choosing a phone:

OPERATING SYSTEM (OS)
Make no mistake. It's the OS that puts the 'smart' in your smartphone. So before buying, it's always a good idea to know about different Operating Systems that exists....

• The Android OS is a product of Google and thus promises native integration with Google services that include search, Gmail, Maps, Hangout, YouTube etc. In addition, you can get access to over a million apps in its play store. The best part? Apps that might be paid downloads on iOS and Windows Phone are sometimes available for free here. Another advantage of an Android handset is that these are plug-and-play. You can connect it to your PC via a USB cable to begin transferring files to and from the device with zero problem.  Also, you can choose from phones--costing as less as Rs. 4,000 to those that are priced at over Rs. 50k--from vendors such as HTC, LG, Lenovo, Samsung, Sony, and even from the local Indian manufacturers like Karbonn, Lava, Micromax, Spice and Xolo. Androind versions are alphabetically named, and the latest in the market are Jelly Bean and Kit-Kat. Make sure you're buying either of these.

• Windows Phone is now playing catch-up with Android and iOS -- and at last count, its app store just had over two lakh titles. Still, most popular apps have already made their way to this platform. WP handsets in India primarily comes from Nokia, while OS still needs improvements, you get really good hardware for the price you pay. Plus, these devices come with subscriptions to free content like music and movies (depending on the model you buy), and also Here Maps and Drive+, which are arguably the best map and navigation services in the country.

• iOS, only found in iPhones, is extremely intuitive to use. Since Apple carefully checks every app that makes it to its App store, you're promised high-quality digital content in the form of apps, music, videos and educational material. The OS itself promises smooth operations, and you'll find very rare instances of iPhones freezing during use. Only downside effect of iOS is that you have to use iTunes to connect the handset to your PC, and this can prove to be quite annoying. And yes, only buy from local authorized dealers because iPhones picked up from abroad are not covered under local warrenty.

PROCESSORS

While shopping, you'll hear dual-core, quad-core and even octa-core processors. But what should you put your money on?

• While greater number of cores are supposedly better, it does not give you a true picture of how a smartphone may perform. Why? Because all cores are not designed identically. UK based ARM, which designs these chips, licenses  different architectures -- with names such as Cortex A5,  A7, A8, A9, A12, A15 -- to manufacturers. Here, higher numbers means better chips. In real, a phone that
  
  uses a quad-core A15 will definitely be more advanced than a phone with quad-core A5. In fact, there might be instances where dual-core processors might fare much better than quad-core processors.

• Also , a lot of how a processor performs depends on how the OS utilizes its abilities. So an iPhone on dual-core processor could be better performer than many quad-core Android phones.

These are some of the names you can expect to hear when shopping....

1. Qualcomm's quad-core Snapdragon 600 and 800 chips, Samsung's octa-core Exynos, and Apple's dual-core A7 (found on the iPhone 5s, and not to be confused with ARM's Cortex series) are the top brands in this market.

2.  Devices like Nokia Lumias use mid-range dual-core Qualcomm S4 chipsets that are also seen in the handsets like Samsung Galaxy Grand Quattro and the Sony Experia M.

3.  In mid- to low-price brackets, you'll find dual-core Intel Atom chips, the quad-core MediaTek MT6589, and Qualcomm's dual-core Snapdragon 200 and 400. 

DISPLAY

The best way to judge a smartphone's screen is to look at it from different angles for change in color, and also in varying lighting conditions for visibility.

• Invest in a full HD (1080p) display if you're buying a phablet (screen size bigger than 5 inches). On the other hand, HD (720P) screens work well for devices up to five inches in size.

• On smaller devices, load a web page to see if the text is crisp, and can be read without any strain to your eyes. In any case, avoid smartphones with lesser than WVGA (800*400p) resolution.

• AMOLED screens are best when it comes to displaying punchy colors. LCD screens with IPS technology comes a second close., while TFT LCDs should be avoided if you can.                  

RAM

It's plain and simple: more RAM is always better.

STORAGE

We carry our world -- e-mails,social networks, photographs, videos, music -- with us on our smartphones. So when buying , always budget for a phone that comes with sufficient storage.

• Generally, if a phone lists its capacity as 8GB, only about 6.5GB will be available to user. So if you need 8GB, buy a phone with 16GB or more.

• More megapixels and HD video recording capabilities result in images and videos that occupy more space. If you plan on watching Full HD movies on your phone, ensure you have at least 32GB storage.

• If possible, opt for a model that supports microSD cards of up to 64GB so you can always add more memory when you need it.

SIZE

In general, a screen of four to five inches works well for most purposes.

• A phone having screen size bigger than five inches could be slightly uncomfortable to use with one hand. Also keep in mind that big-screen phones are heavy, and can be uncomfortable to carry in your pocket.

•  On the other hand, if you can manage to carry large screen phones then you can get a better experience while watching movies, playing games and browsing the web. 

CAMERA

A 5MP camera is capable of 8*6-inch prints even at 300dpi (dots per inch), which is the standard resolution used in professional printing.

• If you're looking for a good camera phone, dump the idea that more megapixels will give you better pictures. Instead look for a phone that comes with good camera optics (go for phones that comes with Carl Zeiss lens). Remember, a high-resolution camera with a low quality lens will only give you low-quality pictures in high-resolution.

• In any case, if you need a snapper only for photos you'd like to share on social networks or Instagram, a 8MP camera phone is going to be overkill.

• Opt for cameras with BSI (backside illumination) sensors for better low-light photography. Make sure it comes with a LED flash.

• Generally, if you want a good shooter you have to spend extra money. Good photos are a result of adequate megapixels, good lens and sensor technology, as well as high-end processor chipsets. The Nokia Lumia 1520, 1020 and 925, the Apple iPhones, the Samsung Galaxy S3, S4 and S4 Zoom, LG G2, and HTC On are known for their good snappers.

•  One megapixel is more than adequate for your front-facing camera.

BATTERY

You may have best hardware with you, but if you keep running out of battery, your handset is quite useless...

• Bigger screens, extra cores and more sensors means greater power consumption. If you're considering a smartphone over 4.5-inches in size, look for devices that come with at least a 2000mAh (milliamp-hour) battery. The higher the mAh, the longer the battery will last. 

• If possible, select devices that come with lithium-polymer batteries over lithium-ion. The former are lighter and also retain their charges for longer. 

• Preferably, buy a device that comes with a user replaceable battery (although a handset like Lenovo P780, which comes with a 4000mAh non-removable li-polymer battery, could prove to be an exception to the rule).

Now you know what you have to look for while buying your favourite gadget. Consider these tips and you'll always get the right type of phone for you. Even you can help your friends and colleagues in choosing a phone of their requirement. 

NOTE : Established brands tends to have better after sales service. If you're opting for a handset from a lesser known manufacturer, check for its service centres in your city. A web search about a company's track record should give you a fair idea if the organisation is in a position to meet its warranty commitments.

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